Device for stabilizing cards, files, etc., in filing drawers or boxes



R. v. WOOD 1,900,148

FILES, ETC., IN FILING DRAWERS OR BOXES Filed Oct. 20, 1951 I DEVICE FOR STABILIZING CARDS,

March 7,

Patented Mar. 7, 1933 RICHARD v. WOOD, or LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY- I DEVICE FoR srABILIzI ve cums, FILE s, Ere, In FILING DRAWERS on BOXES Application filed October 20, 1931, Serial No. 570,018.

This invention relates to improvements in file holders andmore particularly to a file holder for the purpose of keeping the files,

, folders or cards in vertical position and sta-' i bilizing the lower ends of such files, etc.

The object of the inventionis'to provide a simple and durable device adapted to be placed in a drawer of an ordinary filing cabi netand so constructed that the stabilizing strips will be kept in absolute parallelism by a tie bar attached in a peculiar mannerto the ends of the strips, the tie serving, in addition to tying the stripstogether, as a. spacer between the front and rear panels of the draw-er, the manner of attaching and tying the strips together being such that the tie bar may be readily removed and the whole device separated into its various parts and conveniently nested or arranged forv ship- 'ment.

So far as I am aware, in using the ordinary files or file holders, it is necessary for the user, before beginning to look for a particular folder or card, to straighten the whole batch up, whereas in the present device, the files are held in position and in readiness to be opened up at any particular point, as for instance in any particular alphabetical division, where such divisions are employed.

The space barsI employ:perform severa1- functions, namely, as before intimated, to tie the strips together and keep them-in ab solute parallelism and to also space them 4 from the side panels of the drawer, as well as from the front and rear panels, it being highly advantageous in a device of'thissort, that the cards or files immediately adj acent to the front and rear panels ofthe drawer, becapable of being tilted at the same angle as any of the files or'cards intermediateof. the-said.

panels, being-prevented from moving either forward or backward, except to a'very slight fdegree, V and in anyevent, preventing the lower edges of the files from sliding eitherIforwardor backward, as the result of a jar occasioned as the result of the sudden opening or closing of the drawer.

"WhileI have shown inthe present embodi- 6o; ment of theinvention,the device used in condesignates the drawer of an ordinary cabithelower ends of the files meanwhile.

of the strips,

nection with the drawer ofan ordinary file cabinet, it will be understood that it is'equal- 1y well adapted for use in connection with desk filing boxes- The usual filing cabinet is provided with 4-5", a follower that slides upon a rod to keep the files upright or substantially so in the drawer, and while my stabilizer may be usd 1 in such cabinets, it will be independent of the rod and follower, its use in no way interfering with these elements. 'In the event it is used in drawers having a rod. andfollower, the follower will, to all intents and purposes, act asthe rear panel of the drawer and the device will be spaced from the'follower for the purposes heretofore intimated, by the rear tie bar. I

A- still further object of the invention is toprovide a device that will not add appreciably to the weight of the-drawer.

Other objects and advantages of the construction about to be described, will become apparent further along. Y

Referring to the drawing-'- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an ordinary cabinet drawer removed from the cabinet and containing, the device herein described. J

-Figure 2 is a plan view of the device.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a section or portion of oneend of the stabilizin strips.

Figure 4 is a detail section taken a out on line H'ofFigure 2. I

-Referring to the drawing, the numeral'l net, comprising side panels 2, bottom 3 and front and rear ends 4 and 5. The numeral" 6 designates two identical stabilizing strips formed with uniformly spaced ribs'7, which form transverse spaces or depressions 8, in which the lower edges of the files or cards rest, the ribs preventing the lower ends of the folders or cards from sliding lengthwise so that the folders may be moved towardand away from the user, as 951 upon a hinge.- V

Each strip, at each end, is provided with a flattened portion 9, said portion having centrally located therein, a button 10, which comprises a head 12 and a shank. 11, the 1 portion 16 of a width corresponding to the diameter of the shank 11 of the button, so that asort of a bayonet joint is formed between the tie rod and the strips. The strips are preferably made of plate metal of such 15 gauge as will permit it to be readily bent to form ribs, and the depressions or spaces between them, whereas the metal tie bar is preferably of heavier material.

The width of the bar, as shown is such that 2 11 when the stabilizer is placed within the drawer orbox, the end depressions will be spaced sufficiently from the front and rear panels of the drawer as to enable the first and last file or folder to be rocked at an appropriate angle toward and away from the user, the space being such as to make it possible to bring aboutthe same angle between the front and rear of the drawer and the folder or file, as may exist between any of the files or folders intermediate of the front and rear of the drawer, as best shown in Figure 1.

Furthermore, this tie and spacer bar is extended beyond the strips on each side to space the stabilizer properly from the side panels of the drawer.

To remove the tie bar from the strips it is only necessary to move the bar outwardly relative to the strips until the head12 of the button may pass through the aperture 15,

and obviously to. attach the bar to hold the stripstogether, the head is inserted through the large portion of the aperture, and the bar forced toward the first rib, causing the 5;"; shank of the button to enter the narrow portion 16 of the aperture, when the strips will be tied together, and properly spaced apart.

It will be understood that the ribs may be spaced at any suitable distance from each other throughout, thus increasing the width of the depressions between them, to accommodate thelower edges of thick or growing files. V

It will have appeared from the foregoing,

5 1* that the arrangement is such that there may be, and is usually, an angular space between some of the folders or cards, or between some of the folders or cards and the ends of the drawer, which will remain, regardless of the opening and closing movement of the drawer, so that, for instance where'particular data has been looked up and it is desired to refer again and quickly to such data which has before been found, a convenient start1ng point will be provided.

What I claim is:

1. A stabilizing device for files adapted to be placed in the bottom of a file drawer to rest thereon and restrained against movement longitudinally and transversely of the drawer and consisting of a pair of strips hav ing fiat ends and having the portions between the ends corrugated to provide alternate ribs and depressions, cross bars respectively connecting the front and rear ends of said strips in spaced relation and resting on top of the flat ends of the strips, and means for detachably'securing the bars to the strips.

2. A stabilizing device for files adapted to be placed in the bottom of a file drawer to rest thereon and restrained against movement longitudinally and transversely of the drawerand consisting of a pair of strips having fiat ends and havingthe portions. be-' tween the ends corrugated to providealternate ribs and depressions, cross bars respectively connecting the front and rear ends of said strips in spaced. relation andresting on and means top of the flat ends of the strips, for detachably-securing the bars tothe strips, said strips being of, a length to extend from end to end of the drawer and the bars being of a length to extend from side to side of the drawer, said strips being. connected to the bars in spaced relation to the ends of the latter tohold the strips spaced from the drawer sides.

3. A stabilizing device for files adapted to.

be placed in the bottom of a file drawer to rest thereon and restrained against move-- ment longitudinally and transversely of the drawer and consisting of a pair of strips aving fiat ends and having the portions be tween the ends corrugated to provide alternate ribs and depressions, cross bars respectivelyconnecting the, front and rear ends of: said strips 1n spaced relation and resting on:

top. of the flat ends of said strips, said bars having keyhole slots extending transversely of the bars,and buttons on the fiat ends of the strips cooperating with theslots to hold the bars and strips detachably together, the smaller ends of the slots being positioned adjacent the end edges of the strips wherebythe end walls of the drawer may engage the bars to prevent accidental disengagement of the bars and strips.

4. A stabilizing device for files adapted to be placed inthe bottom of a file drawer to rest thereon and restrained against movement longitudinally and transversely of the drawer and consisting of a pair of strips having fiat ends and having the portions between the ends corrugated to provide alter-.-

nate'ribs and depressions, cross bars respectively connecting the front and rear ends of, said strips in spaced relation and resting on top of the flat ends of said strips, said bars having keyhole slots extending transversely of the bars,:and buttons on the flat ends of= the strips cooperating with the slots to hold the bars and strips detachably together, the smaller ends of the slots being positioned adjacent the end edges of the strips whereby the end walls of the drawer may engage the bars to prevent accidental disengagement of the bars and strips, said strips being of a length to extend from end to end of the drawer and the bars being of a length 1 to extend from side to side of the drawer, said strips being connected to the bars in spaced relation to the ends of the latter to hold the strips spaced from the drawer sides. 5. A stabilizing device for files adapted to be placed in the bottom of a file drawer to rest thereon and restrained against movement longitudinally and transversely of the drawer and including a strip having flat ends and having the portion between the ends corrugated to provide alternate ribs and depressions, and a pair of cross bars extending across the fiat strip ends and detachably connected thereto, said cross bars fitting between the sides of the drawer and the strip being connected to the bars in spaced relation to their ends whereby the strip is held in spaced relation to the sides of the drawer.

6. A stabilizing device for files adapted to be placed in the bottom of a file drawer to rest thereon and restrained against movement longitudinally and transversely of the drawer and including a strip having flat ends and having the portion between the ends corrugated to provide alternate ribs and depressions, a pair of cross bars .extendingacross the fiat strip ends, and means connecting the ends of the strip with respective cross bars intermediate the ends of the latter whereby the strip is held spaced from the sides of r 40 the drawer, said crossbars bearing against the ends of the drawer whereby the strip is prevented from longitudinal movement in the drawer and the corrugated portion is held in spaced relation to the drawerends. In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

RICHARD V. WOOD. 

